30 Jul 2026 - 16:59
The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Taliban authorities have arrested three people in eastern Afghanistan’s Khost province for allegedly installing and operating Starlink satellite internet equipment, saying the service is banned under the group’s regulations.
Mustaghfar Garbaz, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Khost, said Thursday that two active Starlink devices were seized during a joint operation by technical and intelligence officials at an internet service provider in Khost city.
According to Garbaz, the equipment had been secretly installed at a company located in Al-Falah Market and was being used without authorization.
The three suspects were handed over to the Taliban police command in Khost for legal proceedings, and the Starlink devices were taken out of service, Garbaz said.
The Taliban have banned the use of Starlink satellite internet equipment in Afghanistan, saying it violates their telecommunications regulations. Authorities warned that legal action would be taken against anyone found using the service and said efforts to identify and stop unauthorized telecommunications and internet activities would continue.
Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, provides satellite-based internet access and has been used in many parts of the world where conventional internet services are limited or unavailable.
